04 October 2010

The Royal Navy is to lose one of its two new jumbo aircraft carriers, David Cameron has signalled.

The axing of one of the giants would lop billions off the defence budget. But, crucially, it may also allow the Navy to keep more frigates and destroyers.

In a TV interview yesterday, the PM would only commit to one of the two Queen Elizabeth class carriers being built at a cost of £5.2billion.

He said: "One of them is under way."

Revealing that the other's fate hung in the balance, Mr Cameron added: "They are a very big part of the decisions that we have got to make about how we make sure our forces are flexible."

The 60,000-ton ships, Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales, were ordered to replace the fleet's three ageing carriers, Invincible, Illustrious and Ark Royal. The future of Queen Elizabeth is safe but Prince of Wales may be built then kept as a spare or sold.